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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · foot · branch · key · can · field · charge · staff

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — a measure
  3. field — a subject
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — electricity
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. branch — a division
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — in control
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. key — the most important part
  21. charge — a price
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com